Mick Schumacher speaks after his horror accident in Formula 1: "I'm completely fit"

Created: 03/29/2022, 04:46

By: Christoph Gschossmann

Mick Schumacher misses the race in Saudi Arabia after his violent crash.

© HochZwei / Imago

A frightening accident involving Mick Schumacher overshadows qualifying for the Formula 1 race in Saudi Arabia.

Now he speaks up.

5:31 p.m .:

Mick Schumacher does not feel any after-effects from his serious accident in Saudi Arabia’s qualification.

"I'm completely fit," said the Haas driver in the paddock on Sunday.

"That shows the safety of cars today."

According to his own assessment, the son of record world champion Michael Schumacher would have been able to drive the second Grand Prix of the year.

The 23-year-old reported that "an extremely large number" of parts broke on his Haas.

It is therefore a matter of damage limitation in order to be back in an operational car in Melbourne in two weeks.

Schumacher crashed sideways into the track barrier at high speed on Saturday in the second round of the starting position hunt on the ultra-fast street circuit in Jeddah.

The car was thrown across the track, losing two wheels and then coming to a stop badly damaged.

Schumacher was later examined in the track hospital.

He was then flown by helicopter to King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital in Jeddah for further testing as a precaution.

"It was probably a bit more dramatic for the people outside than for me," said Schumacher, who wanted to "tinker" with his team on the car a bit on Sunday.

Formula 1: Verstappen sounds the alarm after Schumacher's accident

Update from March 27, 3:32 p.m .:

World champion Max Verstappen criticized the course in Saudi Arabia after Mick Schumacher’s accident.

The Dutchman is particularly annoyed by the developers of the race track: "If you lose the car like Mick and crash into the track, it's painful and very, very dangerous.

Not only that, the straights aren't really straight because they have a lot of blind little corners.”

Verstappen continues: "I don't understand why it was designed that way.

If you're supposed to go full throttle, just make a straight line out of it, it's safer for everyone."

In December 2021, today's Mercedes driver George Russell, among others, described the route as "unnecessarily risky".

Since then there have been some changes.

Russell's opinion today: “The problem is, if you change too much, you lose the DNA of a street circuit.

There is still a lot that can be done, but if you lose the car at this pace and there are no run-off zones, you end up in the wall.”

Saudi Arabian GP: Track too dangerous?

Formula 1 drivers express themselves

Update from March 27, 11:16 a.m .:

Mick Schumacher’s horror accident – ​​a clear sign that the Formula 1 track in Saudi Arabia is not safe enough?

Some of Schumacher's driver colleagues now publicly represent this theory.

"This is the biggest accident we've ever seen on this track," said record world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Pole sitter Sergio Perez added: “This is the most dangerous track on the calendar.

If something happens, it's often a serious accident.” For Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz, the Jeddah Corniche Circuit with its blind corners is simply “at the limit”.

Criticism of the Saudi Arabian GP not only because the track is too unsafe

The high-speed concrete canal in Jeddah has been giving drivers an increasing stomach ache since Schumacher's violent crash in qualifying at the latest.

The 23-year-old's Haas was literally shredded in the impact at well over 200 km/h, Schumacher miraculously escaped without injuries and was able to leave the hospital on Saturday evening.

The industry held its breath until this relieving message got out.

Also because of the security situation off the track - there was an attack on an oil facility - the GP of Saudi Arabia is making negative headlines.

Hamilton said he's looking forward to leaving as soon as possible.

However, it is unlikely that the drivers will be spared the track in the near future: Formula 1 has a ten-year contract with Saudi Arabia reportedly worth 900 million dollars.

The representatives of the racing teams passed the responsibility on to Formula 1 management and the International Automobile Federation FIA.

"The teams don't make the calendar," said Sebastian Vettel's new boss Mike Krack.

At Sky, the Aston Martin team boss said: "If we no longer go to such countries, then we look the other way.

Then it's like a boycott, and that's not conducive either."

First report: Can Mick Schumacher start after his horror crash?

Now there is clarity

Our first report:

Jeddah - First a huge explosion, then a horror crash: The Formula 1 Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia (here in the live ticker) continues to make headlines before the race.

At more than 250 kilometers per hour, Mick Schumacher crashed into the side of the track barrier during qualifying on Saturday.

His car was thrown across the track and then came to a halt, badly damaged.

Anxious moments followed.

Now it is clear: A start in the race is impossible.

Fortunately, the worst fears were not confirmed: "We heard that Mick is conscious and has left the car," the Haas team announced immediately after the crash.

For the television viewers, these were still anxious seconds, the 23-year-old cowered in his wrecked racing car, then the ambulance went to the track hospital.

But even if the son of record world champion Michael Schumacher got off lightly, he will not take part in the second race of the season on Sunday (7 p.m./here all information about the TV broadcast).

"We no longer had radio contact" - anxious moments for Mick Schumacher

Qualifying on the ultra-fast street circuit on the Red Sea was immediately interrupted after Schumacher's accident.

"We no longer had radio contact," said Haas team boss Günther Steiner.

Then came the relief.

The Formula 1 doctors did not find any external injuries at Schumacher, a few minutes after the accident he was able to speak to mother Corinna.

The son of F1 legend Michael Schumacher was lucky in misfortune.

TV pictures soon showed him sitting on a stretcher, laughing and gesturing violently while talking to bystanders.

As a precaution, Schumacher was flown by helicopter to the King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital in Jeddah for further tests.

This happens "to make sure there isn't any injury to the body," Steiner told Sky TV.

Schumacher was then allowed to return to the hotel late in the evening.

"I just wanted to say I'm fine," he wrote on social media.

Formula 1: It wasn't Mick Schumacher's first accident in Saudi Arabia

It wasn't Schumacher's first accident in Saudi Arabia.

Almost four months ago, Schumacher had an accident during the race at the premiere of the Grand Prix in Jeddah.

This time he has to do without a start.

The Haas team only wants to send the Dane Kevin Magnussen onto the track on Sunday “in light of the incident”.

It would also have been difficult to repair Schumacher's largely destroyed car in time.

In the qualification on Saturday, he was classified as 14th.

There was a surprise on the starting grid for the race: somewhat surprisingly, Sergio Perez in the Red Bull took pole position for the first time in his career. The Mexican relegated opening winner Charles Leclerc and his Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz to second and third place.

World champion Max Verstappen had to settle for fourth place in the second Red Bull.

Formula 1: Hamilton weak, Hulkenberg in 18th place

Also surprisingly, record world champion Lewis Hamilton failed in the first round of qualifying.

The British Mercedes driver did not get past 16th place.

"I'm so sorry, guys," the 37-year-old radioed into the pits.

The working day also ended early for Nico Hülkenberg.

The representative of the corona-infected Sebastian Vettel took 18th place in the Aston Martin.

At first it was not at all certain whether the race would take place at all, because the drivers had previously discussed late into the night with the leaders of the racing series and the Saudi authorities whether the Grand Prix should take place.

During the first practice session on Friday, Yemeni Houthi rebels used a rocket to attack an oil plant owned by Formula 1's main sponsor Aramco near the race track.

The measures for the safety of the race have been maximized, it said.

Only under this condition did the drivers consent to their further participation.

It is to be hoped that the GP will be spared further terrible news during the actual race.